Jasper’s response was warm, excited even. “That’s a fuckin’ brilliant plan. The best part is you won’t be there looking over my shoulder telling me to shoot at their knees.”
Storm’s voice was thoroughly exasperated. “Don’t fuckin’ kill them. How are they gonna let Viper know the third favor is over if they’re all dead?”
Siege shot Jasper an amused look. “It only takes one to pass on a message.”
That’s about the time I decided they were messing with Storm.
I couldn’t hold back any longer. “I like the plan, except that part of forcing the last favor. That sounds like a damn good way to get my old lady into a mess of trouble.” I continued quickly before anyone could object, bringing the fuckin’ conversation full circle by pointing out, “The whole reason we got involved in the first place was to save Winter from being trafficked. What you’re suggesting is just gonna make Viper try to take her back. He warned us not to try anything shady.”
“Fuck Viper,” Storm ground out. “If he tries to take her, I’ll put him six feet under myself.”
“We take them alive,” Storm added. “We bring them in front of the council. Captured men wearing Stolen Oath ink who attacked the Rats. Let every club Viper has fucked over, hear about what they’ve been up to.”
Jasper said, “I wouldn’t want to be around when the clubs he recruited figure out the attack that drove them to him was his operation all along.”
“His recruitment pipeline will die overnight,” Storm speculated. “Every club he absorbed under false pretenses will know they’ve been had. His numbers will collapse because it’ll be clear it’s all been one gigantic head game. Ain’t no man with any pride gonna stay after learning that.”
Siege pointed out something we hadn’t considered. “The risk is Bran, here. If anything goes sideways, if Viper gets wind of the trap before it closes, Bran’s cover is gone.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m smarter than I look,” Bran interjected quickly. “I’ve already planned an exit strategy.”
Siege studied him for a moment, then said, “If you have it covered, I’ll stop worrying about ya.”
“Then we have a plan,” Storm said triumphantly.
Bran was escorted out by Breaker and the conversation shifted to planning out all the details that it took to pull off a job like this.
I parsed through the situation over in my mind. This plan would test everything from my ability to not jump the gun to how much trust we could put in Jasper’s inside man to the very alliances our clubs had built with one another. If we were successful, Viper was finished and my old lady would never have to look over her shoulder or be scared of leaving the clubhouse again.
***
I found Winter at the bar around nine. Things had settled down after the prospects finished grilling steaks for dinner. The club girls were fluttering around trying to find a hookup for the night, like always. The jukebox was pumping out tunes, but nobody was dancing.
I pulled her away from the bar by the hand. “C’mon, come sit with me,” I told her as I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and steered her towards one of the two-tops in a quiet corner of the bar.
Winter came willingly but protested, “I’m supposed to be working,” she said. “Are you sure it’s okay if I just nope out like this?”
“It’s fine. Rosie’s got it. I need to talk to you.”
She looked over her shoulder at Rosie. The pretty redhead made a small shooing motion with one hand and then went back to pulling a draft for her old man. Thunder was gazing at Rosie like they were still newlyweds.
When she looked back to me, she was all smiles. “This is a pleasant surprise. I guess I will have a drink,” she said.
“Two,” I countered.
She craned her neck, trying to get a look at the bottle I was holding down by my side. “What are we drinking this evening?”
Holding it up for her to see, I answered, “Whiskey. It’s the good stuff, top shelf. You’ll love it.”
She studied me with an indulgent smile. “Is this a date? I feel like it’s one.”
I unscrewed the top off the whiskey and held it out for her to smell. Her eyes lit up and she murmured, “That smells amazing. I’ll bet you’re right about it tasting good.”
Rosie brought two glasses without being asked. She set them down quietly on the table before strolling back over to the bar.
I poured a bit into each glass and pushed one across the table.
Winter picked up the glass and held it up to the light, turning it around to watch the amber liquid moving around.
